Tomato or no tomato?

[Yonnie3]

We make bean soup every week or so. Usually the ingredients are beans, chicken stock, onion, celery, carrot and some ham. Seasonings vary with my mood.

I've soaked some Great Northern Beans, but I find I'm missing my ingredients. What I do have is pork broth from a slow cooked pork roast. It is a sweet and tangy broth as there was apple cider vinegar and some brown sugar used in the slow cook. I'm considering just cooking the beans with the broth and some of the pork.

Perusing the pantry I see some cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce and I'm considering adding some. I've never added tomato to this soup. Any opinions out there?

[dem in texas]

3. Italian White Bean Soup

A classic Italian soup calls for white beans and tomatoes. two week ago I'd cooked a pot of white beans in my slow cooker with a ham hock and a few garlic cloves. I had about a quart left over, lots of good potlicker.

First I fried a piece of bacon, then browned a chopped onion and a chopped celery stalk. I added the beans, a can of petite chopped tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce and the crumbled piece of bacon. I didn't have any stock so threw in a chicken bouillon cube. The kicker was fresh chopped parsley. I put in about 3 tablespoons. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Added salt and pepper. We ate it for lunch, had about a quart left. Took to my sister's where I was having a quilting day with my two sisters. They both loved the soup, my one asked for seconds, but there was none.

[Yonnie3]

5. I've had a similar soup in an Italian restaurant in Bremen, Germany.

I like this recipe, thanks for sharing it. It's a great way to change up the leftover beans. I see a bigger bean pot in my future.

[Yonnie3]

4. Drat! Somone ate the left over pork, when I wasn't looking.

I found a small ham steak in the freezer, so all is not lost. I think the ham will add a lot more flavor than the pork.

I've definitely decided no tomato this time, the tangy stock is just fine.